Signal mechanism.



S. MILANU.

SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mm Fin. n. 1915.

1 242,57 5. Patented 061;. 9, 1917.

7 N; ia liswm s,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SILVESTRO MILANO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIGNAL MECHANISM.

Application filed February 11, 1915.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Smvmsrno MrLANo, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, county of Bronx, and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Signal Mechanism, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention is a signal adapted to be operated automatically by thepresence of gas in a room or apartment, or by smoke or lire therein, soas to awaken persons sleeping in said apartment, whereby asphyxiation ofthe sleeper or loss of life by fire is prevented.

it is well known that illuminating gas may at times escape from a cockor burner, due to carelessness in turning off the burner or from othercauses, so that the gas will fill one or more apartments in whichpersons may be sleeping, resulting in gas poisoning or asphyxiation.Furthermore, it is not unusual for sleeping persons to become smotheredby smoke or to be burned fatally by fire in an apartment.

My invention consists of a circuit maker and breaker embodying athermostatic spring responsive to abnormal temperature changes for thepurpose of controlling a signal, together with means sensitive to thepresence ofilluminating gas so that when subjected thereto said meanswill generate heat suliieidnt to influence the circuit maker and breakerfor actuating the signal.

,In the preferred form of the invention, the circuit maker and breakerembodies a. composite metal element in the form of a leaf or bow-shapedthermostatic spring forming a terminal of an electric circuit, the otherterminal of which circuit is a contact in the path of the thermostaticspring. The circuit making and breaking spring is composed 'of metalshaving diti'erent degrees of expansion, such as iron or steel and zinc,the novelty in which thermostatic spring resides in the union of the twometals secured by punching holes therein so as to displace the softermetal (zinc) into the holes of the iron or steel strip, thereby unitingthe metals in intimate contact with each other and owing to the lowfusing point of the zincthe s ring is rendered sensitive to the actionof \eat.

It is well known that certain substances, such as spongy platinum, whenexposed to combustible uses will become heated to a glowing con ition. Iutilize this property Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Serial No. 7,509.

of the substance in the production of an element which is positioned inclose proximity to the thermostatic spring, and should illuminating gasescape into the room or compurmcnt and How into contact with theaforesaid clement. the latter will become heated to a glowing condition,whereby the heat generated by said element will iniluonce said compositethermostatic spring so as to control the signal, the latter being eitheraudible or visual.

Other features of the invention and the advantages thereof will ap earin the course of the following detailed cscription.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my device in connection with asuitable signal circuit, the latter being indicated diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the thermostatic composite springremoved from the supporting device or casing.

erative relation to the thermostatic composite spring, the latter beingin dotted lines.

Fig. (i is a cross section through the heatgencrating device of Fig. 5.

A designates the thermostatic element and 13 a heat-generating devicepositioned in proximity to said thermostatic element, the whole beingsupported on a base The thermostatic element is shown in Figs. 1, S2, 3and i in the form of a composite metal spring, the same comprising twolayers of metal a a, one metal being softer than the other, and onemetal being a spring. The spring metal consists of iron or steel,whereas the softer metal consists of zinc, the two layers of metal beingin intimate contact and united firmly together so that the spring willbe influenced by an increase in the temperature above the normal. Asshown, the spring is perforated, the. openings d heim provided atintervals in the length ofsaiil spring. It is apparcut that the twometal pieces composing the s iring may be united in a suitable manner,mt for economy of manufacture it is preferred to stamp or blank out thepieces a a and to unite them together by punching or combine the twometals into intimate contact along-their meeting faces.

The spring 15 shown in Flg. 3 as having an enlarged end portion 0provided with up ertures 6, whereby the spring may be rigidly fixed tothe supporting member. The

spring is shoun in Fig. l as forming one terminal of an electric circuitD, the latter including a suitable source of electric energy, such asthe battery f, and a signal device of suitable character, such as thehell E, but it is apparent that I may use a visual si nal as asubstitute for the audible signa The conductors of the electric circuitare attached to binding posts 9 fixed in a suitable way on thesupporting or base member 0, and from one of these binding posts extendsa conductor g secured in electrical contact with the enlarged endportion e of the thermostatic spring. From the other binding postextends a conductor 9 which is electrically connected with the base 1:.of a contact h, the latter being inthe path of the free end of thespring A. Normally the spring is free from contact with the screw it,thus interrupting the electric circuit, but when the thermostatic memberis influenced by heatthe free end of said member makes mechanical andelectrical contact with the screw h', thus closing the electric circuitand operating the signal device.

An important feature of my invention is the heat generatin device B, twoforms of which are shown. flu the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 theheat generating device consists of a supporting wire 'i, a series ofinsulating sleeves 'i threaded on the wire, and pieces oi spongyplatinum I attached to the insulating sleeves, said pieces of spongyplatinum being separated from each other by the sleeves The wire of theheat-gerierating devices is supported-in fixed posts 7' attached to thebase G. Said heatgenerating deviceis positioned in proximity to thethermostatic spring A and, as shown in Fig. 1, an end port on ott'thcheat-generating device is bent or curved to correspond with the wherebythe spongy platinum material of device B is quite close to the springalong the straight and curved parts thereof.

In Figs. 5 and B of the drawings there is shown another embodiment ofthe heatgenerating device consisting of a plurality of wires k and amass of spongy platinum curvature of the attached part of the spring,

I.-', said wires being embedded in the spongy platinum mass for thelatter to incase the wires for substantially the length thereof. The endportions of the wires are extended beyond the platinum mass in orderthat the device may be supported in the posts is", and, if desired, theend portion of said device may be bent or curved the same as in Fig. 1,in order that the spongy platinum material may be positioned quite closeto the curved end of the spring, the latter being indicated in dottedlines.

The supporting device C is shown asa casing open on one side, but it isapparent that the particular form of device may be moditied or varied asdesired.

The operation of the invention will be ap parent from the foregoingdescription taken in connection with t edrawings. The signal device may,of course, be positioned in the same room or apartmentas thethermostatic device, or said signal device may be in a remote room orapartment from the signal device so as to be connected .therewith by theconductors of the electric circuit. Should a fire occur in the roomwherein the thermostatic device is located, the heat of the fire willinfluence the thermostatic spring, the different metals of which respondto the diflcrent degrees of heat. The spring is thus deflected from thenormal posit-ion shown for the free end of the spring to contact withscrew It, thereby closing the circuit and operating the signal. Shouldilluminating gas escape from a cock or burner and;flow into contact withthe spongy platinum material I, the latter will generate heat until thespongy platinum material is in a glowing wndition, and the heat fromthis materiallwill influence the thermostatic spring A for closing thecircuit thus again operating the signal .under conditions difierent fromthe con ition first described.

My device is operated either by the heat from a fire or by the flow ofilluminating gas into contact with the spong platinum material and theinvention is thus adapted to operate a signal which will minimize thedanger of loss of life due either to the presence of a fire or to'theescape of'illummatin gas. I I

l-Iaving thus fully described theinvent-ion, what I claim as new,.anddesire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In a thermostatic and gasdetecting signal device, the combination .with a circuit terminal, of acomposite thermostatic 'member positioned for electrical contact withsaid circuit terminal,-said composite thermostatic member beinresponsive to temperature changes in e surro uiding. air and operatingthrough the circuit terminal to control a signal, and a heat-generatingelement sepm'ate from said thermostatic memher, said heat-generatingelement being positioned in such proximity to the thermostatic member asto operate directly thereon and to influence the same for controllingthe signal, said heat-generating element being composed of materialresponsive to the action of gas containin hydrocarbon, whereby thecontact of snc as with said element generates heat the e ect of whichupon the thermostatic member is to control the signal independently ofany change in the temperature of the air to which said thermostaticmember is normally responsive.

2. In a thermostatic and gas detecting signal device, the combinationwith a circuit terminal, of a composite thermostatic spring positionedfor electrical contact with the circuit terminal, said thermostaticspring being responsive to a change in temperature of the surroundingair and said spring operating through said circuit terminal to control asignal, a heat-generating element separate from the thermostatic spring,and means for fixedly supporting the heat-generating element in closeproximity to said thermostatic spring, said heat-generating elementbeing composed of a material sensitive to the action of gas containinghydrocarbon and adapted, when such gasflows into contact therewith, togenerate heat which directly influences the thermostatic spring so as tochange the position of said spring and to control said signalindependently of a change in temperature of the surrounding air to whichtemperature change the thermostatic spring is normally responsive.

portion being lixedly attached, a circuit ter- 'responsive.

the thermostatic spring, a heat-generating element composed of asubstance res onsive to the flow mto contacfltherowith o a as containinghydrocarbon, and means or fixedly sup orting said-heats neratin elementinto 0 use proximity to t e bowe por tion and the longitudinal ortion atsaid thermostatic spring, said element operatln upon the flow of gasinto Contact therewit to generate heat for d1-' rectly changing theposition of said thermo- Static spring ture change m the surroun a ir towhich temperature change said spring is normally 4. In athermostatic anddetecting signal device, the combination. of a composite thermostaticspring bowedf at an end portion thereof, means for fixedly supportmg thespring at the bowed end portion thereof, an electrical contact in thepath of the unsupported. end of the s n nlg ,i= portin rod in fixedlongitufrhua frelation to the owed and unsupportedportionaof saidspring, and spoon? platinum'carr ed by the supportin r in closeproxlmity to' the bowed an unsupported portions of the thermostaticspring, said spon platinum bein influenced by the flow 0 gas intocontact t erewith and o crating to her- .ate heat which is availa lein'direety influencing the position of said thermostatic spring so astocontrol a si 111 independently of a temperature change in thesurrounding air to which the thermostatic spring is normally responsive.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, SILVESTRO 'Mnianoi Witnesses:

H; I. Bmmmnn, M. C. Ronxmnnz.

eat-generating independents: of a temperamg a

